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This is a personal story about small business retail and the value achievable from a smarter and more customer respectful approach to rewarding loyalty … but in a different way, a way that is counterintuitive in that it front-ends the approach.

Here is our story … we are not your usual POS software company in that we are retailers too, using our software in a range of specialty retail shops.

I want to share with you a true story of what really happened in my own retail business. It is a story of how a small everyday purchase led to something bigger and how this happened as a result of fundamental changes in how the business is run.

While this story is about what happened in my newsagency, it could happen in any type of business. This newsagency, by the way, is not your typical newsagency. Close to 70% of what we sell is non traditional. It is high margin higher price point items that sit at the core of this unique business.

At its core, this is a story about shopper loyalty, especially shopper loyalty in a retail situation where between 25% and 30% of shoppers visiting the business are not local and therefore not likely to engage with the old-school points-based loyalty program.

A customer passing the shop noticed our greeting card range and stepped into make a purchase because of a specific need. They purchased two cards. On their receipt was a voucher for almost $2.00. As they are not usually in the shopping centre they looked around for something in which to spend the $2.00.

This is the key: the customer came in to make a quick destination purchase. The type of business we were did not matter. They were on the way to the car park and happened to pass buy our shop. Point 1: location is in our favour. The stepped in because they saw our greeting cards. Point 2: the floor placement of cards was key in getting them in the shop.

Having made the purchase, the customer then noticed, for the first time, what else we sold – because of the $2.00 discount voucher on their receipt. Point 3: we got them to look around and see what else we sold.

The customer did a 180 degree turn and saw a locked glass cabinet of beautiful collectible bears. This was in the right place at the right time as they had been looking for a gift for a child. Money was not an issue. They wanted something to last a lifetime. They purchased a $500.00 bear.

This purchase would not have been made had they not been given the $2.00 voucher on their receipt. The voucher is what got them to notice what else we sold.

Fast forward several weeks and this customer who said they don’t usually come to the shopping centre was back for another $500.00 purchase. Now, several more weeks later, the customer has another $500.00 order placed.

I can directly trace more than $1,500.00 in sales back to the $2.00 voucher.

The software produced the voucher based on rules I established. The initial staff member serving the customer made a brief professional pitch highlighting the voucher. These are both important factors as they are at the core of a structured consistent approach to what has become the most lucrative loyalty program I have seen in my 30+ years involved in retail as a retailer myself and working with retailers in many different channels.

While most times vouchers are handed out they are not redeemed, they are redeemed enough to make them worthwhile. They are redeemed for good margin product as they get people looking at the shop for the first time and discovering items to purchase they were not in our four walls to consider.

The discount vouchers are disruptive and this is why I love them. People respond in unpredictable ways.

Best of all, the discount vouchers are profitable.

For this story to work in any retail business you need to have the right products, placed strategically in-store. Your employees need to make the right pitch. Plus, you need to be attracting people who don’t know and probably don’t care what shop they are in.

Tower Systems offers not only excellent software but also the business acumen, experience and drive to help you make the most of the opportunities in the software.

From points on a purchase to buy X and get Y FREE to Discount Vouchers, the Tower software offers flexibility in loyalty offerings that enable you to make the pitch right for your business to bring shoppers bag to spend more than might usually be the case.

There are simple steps to take to determine if POS software you are considering is right for your business. These steps are:

Be sure of your needs. Without doubt. Without confusion. Noter down your must haves.

Make sure the software runs in your type of business. Specialty retail runs best with specialty POS software. Using generic POS software that all sorts of businesses use will give you generic results.

Look at software in your shop. Before you sign anything, before you pay anything, get someone from the POS software company to your shop to show you the software. But first, please clear on outlining your needs.

Make sure you know the POS software company. Often people sell POS software that they don’t control. This can weaken your situation. Make sure they control what they sell as it is only through this that they can serve evolving needs.

Only proceed if sure. If you have any doubt, pause. If you have unanswered questions, pause.

Do your homework. Communicate clearly. research well. Decide when you are confident.

It works every time.

We are grateful to our many POS software customers for confirming that this process of clarity around searching fort the right POS software for any specialty business works.

Tower Systems will visit your store, listen to your needs, show you what we do and put an offer to you – if we think our two businesses are a good fit. If we do not think they are good fit we will wish you all the very best, shake your hand and maybe suggest another company to speak with. Life is too short to have any retailer have our software if were know it is not a good fit.

Our evaluation and assessment proceeds as as thorough as we suggest to prospective customers. It is about our choices as much as theirs. We want happy customers and we want happy people working for our POS software business. That happens when good relationships are formed.

This may seem like common sense. sadly, in there POS software world it is not. People can be ripped. Follow our advice and it is less likely to happen to your, regardless of the software company you choose.

We are grateful for the opportunity to get a sneak peek at Valentine’s Day 2019 results for several retail businesses … and the results are good.

On a same store year on year comparative basis we are seeing good for Valentine’s Day. As usual, the bulk of the sales were achieved in the last week … actually, in the last five days to be precise.

Valentine’s Day remains an important season in card and gift focussed businesses. However, this year we have seen some nice growth outside of these traditional businesses as more retailers take a more creative approach and play outside of what has been traditional for the season.

In our POS software customer community we have a diverse group of indie retailers. Whereas in the past, Valentine’s Day was narrow in engagement in retail channels, 2019 has seen greater diversity in engagement. This reflects the changing nature of retail, something that is especially evident in small and indie retail businesses.

Tower Systems only sells to small and indie retailers. We have no interest in large retail groups as we prefer to serve and rely on many rather than be dominated by one or two.

Already, the focus is on the next season, Mother’s Day. This is another opportunity to play outside what has been traditional.

Two weeks ago we published comprehensive advice for small business retailers on dealing with a cashflow challenge. It was not the first time we have provided business advice on cashflow management and it won’t be the last.

What makes us experts on cashflow management in small business retail?

This is a good question. We are retailers ourselves. We have 3,000+ retail businesses as customers. These points and our decades of service to small business retail position us to be able to help in this area.

Our advice was thoughtfully prepared, reviewed and edited, to ensure it spoke to the needs of local small business retailers, to help them in practical and genuinely useful ways.

We are grateful for the engagement of our small business retailer community, the follow-up questions, their engagement seeking help beyond our written advice.

Helping small business retailers beyond our POS software and with ready to use advice on managing a cashflow challenge is something we are proud of offering as part of our service at Tower Systems.

HERE IS OUR CASHFLOW ADVICE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

In it’s simplest form, cashflow management is about ensuring a business has the cash necessary to meet its obligations and, hopefully, build reserves for the owners.

Good cashflow management starts with the understanding that this is your business. You sign the lease. You sign up for any loans. You hire, train, motivate, manage and, maybe, fire the staff. You choose what you sell. You set your prices for most of what you sell. You control how the shop looks. You manage the promotion of the business outside the business. Yes, this is your business.

The cashflow of the business is a product of your choices.

It is critical for every business owner to own their business cashflow performance. Blaming others or external factors is a cop out. harsh as it is, that’s the truth.

MANAGING CASHFLOW.

This list is ordered by priority.

Budget. Have one. Until you do, do nothing. This is priority #1. The budget should include an inventory spend allowance, so you know what you can spend. Plan the budget for the business to be profitable / viable without the need for agency to support it. Business budgeting should involve provision to grow savings / emergency funds without having to borrow / lifestyle choices / exit strategy if you cannot sell the business.

Funding. Before you borrow from any source, get advice as to the appropriateness of this funding. Too often we see expensive, unsecured, loans taken out at ridiculous interest, to the significant cost and harm to the business.

Shop lease. Only sign a lease you are happy with. Be prepared to walk away at the end of the current lease if the new one offered is not good. Run your business through the life of the lease as if you will not take up a new lease in the same location.

Labour costs. Run a lean roster. $25.00 a day saved in labour costs is like $50 to $75 in retail sales. That is, $15,600 to $23,400 in revenue for a six day week over a year.

Ensure every team member has a role description.

Set business performance targets:daily revenue / revenue per labour hour or similar. It is critical everyone working in the business understands the goals and that they support them.

Price for margin. Understand retail price psychology. For example, $13.50 is seen to be the same as $14.99. So, price at $14.99. By pricing to a higher price point you can discount back or fund a loyalty program that discounts for loyalty. Also, choose .99 over .90 or .95.

Loyalty. Run a loyalty program that focusses on people shopping more often with you. Be consistent in your pitch. Do not waver over the offer. It rewards loyalty, not laziness. The focus on loyalty needs to be whole of business, whole of team in pitch and management.

LayBy. Stop it. Instead, offer Oxipay, ZipPay or AfterPay.

Basket depth. Maximise every touchpoint.

Counter. Always have multiple offers at your counter, offers that are easily purchased on impulse, offers that deepen the basket and make a shopper visit more efficient for you.

Top selling items. Look at what is on either side. Make sure the products are relevant and easily purchased with the popular item.

Exit pitch. Make sure you have a compelling and regularly changed pitch to shoppers as they leave the business.

Inventory.

You control your buying. Not a rep of a supplier ordering on your behalf.

A full shop is not necessarily a good shop. A smart shop is better. This is, one that people love to browse, love to shop. Often in retail less is more.

Consider establishing a buying approval process where more than one person participates in buying decision. The goal is to slow impulse purchases. This could be someone outside the business.

If you doubt your ability ton pay, don’t buy.

Move, move and move. Every day there should be movement of products in the sore to keep it feeling fresh.

If products don’t work, quit them as they are worthless if you put them in storage for later.

Work with suppliers, exploring delayed terms or consignment opportunities.

DEALING WITH A CASHFLOW CRISIS.

A cashflow crisis is when you can’t pay your bills on time or a sustained period of dissatisfaction with the cash reserves in the business.Too often, small business retailers ignore a cashflow crisis, leaving action until it is too late.

Here is our advice on how to deal with a cashflow crisis.

Own the problem. Fixing this is on you.

Bring in outside help. This could be a friend, a financial counsellor. The best person will be someone who understands your type of business who can help you see what you don’t see and support you in tough decisions to be made.

Understand the problem. Know if it is short term or long term. Be certain about the role you have played.

If you run customer accounts, collect with urgency.

Ask the landlord for immediate rent relief. The more transparent you are with them the better. Document your case. Be prepared to show your P&L in support of your request.

Cut your roster to bare bones.

If you have stock on sale or return and it is not selling, return for credit.

Immediately start a sale.

Give it a cool, non scary, name.

Price items to sell, especially items for which you have already paid. Even selling below cost frees cash to the business.

Get everything on the shop floor.

Display to clear. i.e. not pretty displays for sale items.

For inventory that you cannot sell, consider eBay.

Consider selling assets. If you have equipment in the business that you no longer use, sell it.

The Shopify connected POS software from Tower Systems helps small business retailers get online more easily and make money more seamlessly.

First released years ago and enhanced regularly since the Shopify POS software link offered by Tower Systems is good for small businesses as it makes getting online structured and straightforward.

Tower uses the link itself in retail businesses it owns and runs, offering the company personal and valuable experience on which it can draw to provide practical and useable solutions to its small business retail customers.

Thanks to the link, retailers can easily feed inventory data to their Shopify store, track online sales and easily facilitate order fulfilment.

Being a direct link offers a better solution for retailers who want to access to extraordinarily successful, Shopify platform. The data flow is immediate, safe, secure and valuable. Two-way, too.

The Shopify link is one of several e-commerce links offered through the Tower oysters POS software. The company supports multiple platforms to provide its customers choice. each e-commerce platform is widely used locally and internationally.

Our customers can link with sites they rate for themselves or have created by a web developer. Tower Systems also develops websites. We are happy to work in any situation people want. We make linking to sites easy with access to documentation on data flow and connection.

We welcome the opportunity to quote on stand-alone web development, where our sole service of your business is the development of a website.

The Tower Systems web development team is skilled in WooCommerce, Magento and Shopify. The company has plenty of sites it can show in a live portfolio of successful e-commerce sites, serving shoppers in Australia and internationally.

Small business retailers can benefit from the retail management experience at Tower Systems experience that helps deliver a more retail focussed solution, integrated with POS software.

The Tower web development team is also skilled at SEO and SEM services that help raise the website rankings in key search engines, ensuring the site is found ahead of others.

Late last year we launched a new free service for our customers that involves us doing some business performance analysis work for them through our POS software and delivering our assessment to them.

Our customers are loving this service. They love the insights, the fresh eyes view of their business performance, the respect we show for accurate business data and the deeper understanding they get from the work we are doing.

In each case the interaction is personal, specific to the business. We deliver valuable outcomes on which our customers can rely.

This new service was tested first, honed, buffed and then pitched, a couple of months ago. This week, we have reminded customers as we are keen to help as many customers as possible to get more from their investment with us.

This is a unique service that leverages our own retail knowledge and experiences. It enables us to deliver to our customers practical business outcome focussed data they can use to make better quality business decisions without having to harvest data themselves.

What we are doing is outside the usual scope for a POS software help desk. It is a point of difference delivered by Tower Systems.

Giving our customers insights is a terrific way to demonstrate real value from proper use of our software and engagement with the data analytics and reporting tools available through and allied to our software.

From unit count data to basket size, shopper visit efficiency gross profit and other data point analyses, we are delivering to small business retailers insights of genuine and understood value.

Privacy is respected through the process. Educational opportunities are embraced where we see opportunities to help our customers nurture better business data for their own insights. We are thoughtful and careful in how we approach this, ensuring we are dealing with business owners.

Seeing a business make good business decisions based on their own business data is terrific and then seeing them nurture even more valuable business data in pursuit of growth is wonderful. that is what this free service from us guides for our small business retailer customers. It is a point of difference that is 100% is support of small business retail.

Not all POS software sold in Australia is made is Australia. Plenty are not supported in Australia.

While we are biased on this, Australian designed and supported POS software is best for Australian business needs.

But how can you tell if your software is from Australia? Easy, call the company, call their local office and ask. Better still, if possible, visit their local office and see for yourself.

Small business retailers more than most in business understand the importance of shopping local – for local communities, local employment and local funding of infrastructure.

If this is you, if you pitch shop local in your business, shop local for your own POS software. That positions you better to influence the software and to benefit from the local Aussie connection.

Do your homework. Look at the terminology used in the software, the design aesthetic, the accessibility of support, the tuning of training to your business, the opportunity for face to face in-store training. Do all this research and we think you will soon see the value of shopping local for POS software for your small or independent retail business.

Here Are reasons why Australian designed and supported POS software is better for Australian retail businesses.

Local business knowledge is vital.

Accessible support is essential.

Specialty retail channels are different elsewhere.

It is made for you and not a global market.

You are close to the company and therefore more able to influence product direction.

It is more likely to work with your suppliers.

It is good for the country, good for your local community.

In looking for software, we suggest you start with your needs. Be clear and concise. Know what is not negotiable for you and stick to that.

We suggest you don’t get suckered into a free trial as that is how some companies get you, thinking you will become invested and not want to switch. Do your research and make a better decision to start with, a researched decision based on your needs.

Australian POS software has an excellent reputation. You can rely on having terrific options available to you.

Our help desk team have been busy these past fe weeks writing, editing, peer-reviewing and publishing new advice sheets for retailers using our POS software. Here are some of the new articles already published following thorough peer review…

Processing a Sale using Zip Pay/Zip Money

Processing Sales and Refunds Using Oxipay

Troubleshooting Report Mapping

Setting Up Report Mapping

Woo Commerce Integration Information

Shopify Integration Information

Magento Integration Information

Magento 2 Link Installation / Configuration

Zip Pay/Zip Money setup guide

Sales by Time

Daily GST Cash Accounting report

Weekly GST Cash Accounting report

Monthly GST Cash Accounting report

Supplier Sales Analysis Report

Supplier Stock Listing

General Stock Listing

Valuations

These advice sheets reinforce our personal in-store training, our over the phone one on one training and our group training workshops.

By providing multiple, fresh, POS software use touchpoint we make learning easy for existing and new customers, especially retailers who buy businesses with our software installed.

The Tower Systems POS software is integrated with more buy now pay later services, enabling our small business retail partners to directly link from their POS software to these services for easy over the counter purchase, fast payment and no hassles with storing the items.

This latest update, the first for 2019, has been developed to meet the standards of our latest buy now pay later finance provider. It further showcases the integration strength of our POS software and the wonderful team of POS software developers who work for our company – evolving wonderful software through partnerships with strong and respected service providers.

Like our Xero accounting software integration, Tower Systems has ensured that this latest integration is seamless, accessible from within the software and completed to best practice standards.

With the buy now pay later options we support, our POS software customers can sell without risk as the finance companies manage that, they take this on as their responsibility. It has completely changed how LayBy operates, especially in the indie retail space in which we are so well established.

Transactions at the counter are easy and fast. Retail shoppers using any of the services with which we integrate can purchase, ‘pay’ and leave in a short time. The retailer can be confident of being paid. The shopper understands the terms. The finance company manages risk. It really is a win win win.

In delivering this latest update, Tower Systems has undertaken lab testing, field testing, a beta release and then commercial release. Our customers love the structured process updates are put through. They also love that they can choose when an update is installed for them. They like that there are no surprises. We could force updates on them. They prefer we not do that.

Buy now pay later is big in many retail channels. Tower Systems is proud to have launched this in each of its marketplaces for over the counter over a year ago. Now, with more financiers on board, the options for retailers and consumers are considerable.

2019 is two weeks in and already there is plenty happening in retail, especially small business retail.

As a service to POS software customers in our user community, Tower Systems offers a selection of small business retail new year resolutions from which retailers can choose business goals for the year.

Naturally, these resolutions are POS software related, as encouragement to our customers to get more from their investment. We don’t expect people to select any more the one or two from this list. However, do something, have a goal that is POS software related, your business will benefit, you will benefit, for sure.

TWENTY-FIVE 2019 POS SOFTWARE RELATED SMALL BUSINESS RETAIL NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS.

Maintain better quality business data.

Order based on actual sales data rather than gut feel.

Spend more time away from the shop by managing remotely.

Eliminate manual processes.

Take action on employee theft.

take action on customer theft.

Reduce dead stock.

Eliminate more paperwork.

Engage in more data based business planning.

Declutter my business data.

Declutter the shop based on the business data.

Delegate more.

Set KPI goals, measure, track and engage.

Learn more about the software.

Learn something new from the software every week.

Start believing the business performance data.

Only sell products with a barcode.

Establish new rules designed to protect data integrity.

Deal more with suppliers that make doing business easier and less with suppliers that don’t.

Leverage more control over the business.

Manage staff performance more.

Engage in more free training from Tower Systems.

Ask Tower to tell me what they see about my business in my business data.

Get more from the software.

Treat data as an asset and not as a chore.

We hope that this list inspires, encourages, motivates and nurtures better business outcomes from the use of our POS software in your business.

More than an average software company, Tower Systems cares, deeply, about how our POS software is used and the outcomes it can achieve for your business. Our goal is to every day help our customers to achieve real benefits from the POS software.

Software is like any business tool. What you get out of it is determined by what you invest in the tool and how you use it. No, not a money investment, but a management investment. Respect, trust and use the tool and it will deliver for you. Treat it as a glorified cash register and that is what it will be for you.

Tower Systems makes it easy for small business retailers to connect their shops online, directly through their POS software, to websites in Shopify, Magento or Woo Commerce. Using the POS software as the owner and manager of the inventory data and images, loading items on a website is easy as is tracking sales and managing fulfilment.

In addition to develop0ing POS software, we develop websites for our small business customers. We have terrific experience and skills i8n this area.

The Tower Systems web development team is skilled in WooCommerce, Magento and Shopify. The company has plenty of sites it can show in a live portfolio of successful e-commerce sites, serving shoppers in Australia and internationally.

Small business retailers can benefit from the retail management experience at Tower Systems experience that helps deliver a more retail focussed solution.

The Tower web team is also skilled at SEO and SEM services that help raise the website rankings in key search engines, ensuring the site is found ahead of others.

But best of all, Tower Systems provides professional advice and guidance to small business retailers keen to build their online presence. Our commitment is honest transparent advice on which any small business retailer can rely.

The Tower Systems web development team is Australian based, working out of the company’s head office in Hawthorn. This is important as many web development businesses are overseas. While you might have a locally based contact person development too often is done overseas, leading to challenges with delivery and usefulness.

Tower Systems is committed to local development for local businesses. Our developers understand retail in Australia and New Zealand. We leverage that to deliver practical and valuable business outcomes.

From simple websites to complex multi business solutions, the Tower Systems web development team for retailers is skilled and capable of delivering valuable solutions.

To find our more about our web development services, speak with a local Tower Systems sales person. They can point you to successful sites from us that are live and transacting today.

Here are just some of the many store POS software linked websites that we have developed:

In the Australian designed, developed and supported Tower Systems POS software, independent retailers can easily to pitch that you are locally connected business.

This is a key mission of the Tower Systems POS software company. It is something on which we have focussed for years and something we deliver in our POS software, customer service, train ing, management advice and more as we go about business every day.

being local, serving local, engaging local matters. It is what Tower Systems helps retailers do through its POS software regularly, systematically and in a structured way. We are proud to offer this local focus and support.

For example, you can serve, on receipts, local information relevant in your area:

A garden centre could provide advice on plants for local conditions.

A fishing business could provide advice on local fishing spots that are hot.

A pet store could include information about local dog parks and events.

A toy shop could list local collector and game clubs to foster community.

We can help you do this, we can help you show through the software how your business is better for the local community than any big business competitor.

BEING LOCAL BEYOND THE SOFTWARE.

Here are four ideas you could consider to show off a local connection. This collection of ideas is all about things you could do that are newsworthy for the local media:

Tell the town’s story. Invite a school class to create a diorama telling some history of the down in your shop window. This will be educational, topical, newsworthy and something that gets people connected with those involved to your shop to see the window.

Famous and infamous people. Get your customers to nominate famous people form the area from back since when the area was first settled. Again, educational and newsworthy.

Sports heroes. Invite all schools and clubs in your area to submit a photo and a brief description of their sporting winners from this year. The display could be your way of holding the winners up for another moment of glory.

Where we come from. get a school class to create a map of the word for your window and get your shoppers to place a flag showing where they come from. Maybe the could have a place to note a story of how they got there.

While none of these ideas is about you selling product, each does better connect your shop with your local community and that is vital.

Here are other tips on boosting the local connection:

Be knowledgeable about local activities, events, issues and places.

Talk about local matters on your social media outlets. Help publish local news.

Support local groups with knowledge, prizes and attention.

Encourage local groups to use your business.

Serve your community in practical ways such as volunteering.

Help even the groups you cannot help financially – with an events noticeboard and supporting them on your Facebook page etc.

Talk local across the counter.

Be visible at local events and activities.

Encourage your employees to be visible at local events and activities.

First released years ago and regularly enhanced, the POS software Xero link helps small business retailers…

Save time.

Cut mistakes.

make better decisions.

make faster decisions.

Have more control over their businesses.

Stress less.

Sell their businesses.

We use Xero ourselves in our own retail businesses, where we also use our POS software. nWe have practical and personal experience on which we can draw to serve our customers, to provide them a better Xero POS software integrated experience.

When we provide training and help on this, we do so from years of personal experience. It is one thing to know what to do, it is another entirely to actually have done it yourself. This is where our story is unique in the POS software space, where we are able to best serve our small business retailers on an efficient and useful Xero POS software link.

Here is what is transferred to Xero through our POS software Xero link.

Sales – End of Shift based Department level sales are transferred to Xero via a sales invoice. Each department can be assigned its own Xero account.

Stock Arrivals – Invoices that are received into Retailer are transferred over to Xero as department level purchase invoice. No individual stock items are transferred.

Stock Returns – Returns are transferred as credits in Xero at the department level. No individual stock items are transferred.

Write Off’s and No Sales – These are both transferred to individual expense accounts, depending on what reason was chosen when the transaction was performed.

Cost Of Sales – An option on sales exporting is to export Cost of Sales. While not a full implementation of COGS it does transfer over the cost price of items sold each day to reduce the value of Stock On Hand in Xero. If you use this option you will export Write offs, not as expenses, but as adjustment to your Stock on Hand. This makes processing adjustments for the End Of Month much easier.

We developed the link is association with xero, as a development partner.

While we have an integration with Quicken and MYOB, we love Xero as it is easy, well maintained and well supported … and we use it ourselves in our own shops having tried other accounting software solutions.

Retail changed in 2018 and it will change more in 2019. While some changes are obvious, l others are more subtle. Good POS software helps retail businesses to embrace change, to lean into evolving opportunities.

Through 0ur structured, fact-based, well-researched, thoroughly tested software update process, Tower Systems offer small business retail customers the opportunity to embrace change and place the business ahead of a curve of change.

The changes in our software are retail outcome led. That is, we bring to the software tools retailers want for their shop floor, online, in their back offices and on the road. We deliver tools and facilities retailers love because they are retailers more so that they are tech-heads. This matters as retail is unique.

Being retailers ourselves, owning and running three growing and engaged retail businesses in the gift, homewares and on-trend spaces, each with strong in-store and online sales, we leverage personal experience for spotting trends and testing the benefits of technology in delivering on those opportunities.

This is rare, a POS software company owning and operating retail stores. We are proud to have this opportunity, to leverage it for our customers and to use our shops as show places, testing labs and more on behalf of our POS software customer community.

Owning retail shops helps us produce old software, useful software, software fit for purpose in retail in 2019. This is a year of wonderful opportunity, of more change and of more opportunity for independent small business retailers. Were will deliver tools and benefits for our customers so they can leverage our software in 2019 for their own business benefit.

So, what does independent retail look like in 2019? We have some views on this and will share them without customers in our private communications. Our its are an amalgam of insights from study overseas, connection with retail experts and guidance received from retail groups to which we contribute and from which we learn.

Our goal this year is to help our retail business customers, to continue to grow their businesses, to be resilient and to benefit from change. Our hope is for 2019 of great achievement for our POS software user community. We will work diligently to help achieve this for our customers.

The beautiful and seamless integration between the Tower Systems small business POS software and Xero cloud based accounting software is helping more and more small business retailers to cut mistakes and same time.

The Tower Systems Point of sale software / Xero link offers multiple benefits on which small business owners can bank…

Cut accounting costs.

Cut bookkeeping time.

Improve business data accuracy.

Improve business retorting.

Make the business more profitable.

Xero does not connect to all POS software. Qs the premier small business account ting software in the world it is selective.

Tower Systems is proud to be a Xero partner and proud to deliver a quality Xero integration between our POS software and Xero. It is an integration we use ourselves in our own retail businesses. This provides us with experience we leverage for our customers every day. When we provide support, we do so from our own personal experience and this makes a big difference to the nature of support.

We were the first in our retail niches to integrate with Xero. We did this years ago and have maintained it ever since, working with xero through enhancements to deliver an appreciated and evolving solution for retailers who want too cut data entry, cut mistakes, cut bookkeeping costs and increase practical and beneficial business outcomes.

In addition to the Xero integration, Tower Systems POS software integrates with Shopify, magento and WooCommerce – the three leading e-commerce platforms in the world. The web development team at Tower has enhanced these to offer a multi-store solution whereby independent retailers can trade under a single branded website rather than needing their own website.

The Xero integration is the back-office piece where real labour costs are reduced. We only sell to independent small business retailers in selected retail niches such as bike shops, jewellers and garden centres. Having the xero integration is vital as they are all competing with big business and every saving, no matter how small, is loved.

The Tower Systems Toy Shop POS software has been designed and developed here in Australia for Australian toy shops. It serves local needs, works with local suppliers and is more finely tuned to your business needs.

Tower Systems started in business in 1981. The company serves over 3,000 small business retailers. The software it sells today is not the software from the 1980s. That is long gone. No, the software the company sells today is made for today and tomorrow. It’s based on current level technology with the software being completely re-written several times to leverage new technology.

The Tower Systems Toy Shop software is one of the more recent versions of the software released with the latest major update barely a few months old, released in time for Christmas 2018 trade.

Here are 10 ways this Toy Shop specific software can help your business:

Get customers spending more.Forget the old points approach, our loyalty facilities get customers engaged to spend more and spend it sooner.

Buy better.Buy more of what is selling and less of what is not. We recently we showed one owner $7,500 worth of stock which had not moved in a year.

Easy LayBy.More expensive items can be attainable if you offer a LayBy service. Ours is easy to use and brings structure to offer a consistent service.

Bring customers back. With no extra work, make a pitch customers see when they get home. We can bring as many as 25% of shoppers back in.

Increase your Gross Profit.In our Toy Shop Software we have facilities which help you maximise gross profit. We’d love to show you these.

Cut your bookkeeping and accounting fees.From GST reporting to having an up to date P&L, we can save time and money by linking to software like Xero.

Our company motto here at Tower Systems is we’re here to help. We take this seriously. Everyday, our motto challenges us to help our POS software customers in ways they do not expect, ways beyond the software itself.

Founded in 1981, Tower Systems has evolved as technology has evolved. The software we sell today is generations away from where we started. We are proud to have served some of our customers for decades.

More than 3,500 specialty small business retailers in Australia and New Zealand use our specialty POS software.

To us, a specialty retailer is one that offers services unique to the channel, services that define the business. We embed in our software for each retail channel facilities that serve needs unique to that channel. We take pride in doing this and enhancing these channel-specific facilities as the needs evolve.

We appreciate software cannot stand still. Every year we release significant enhancements, serving the needs of our customers.

POS software RETAIL MARKETS

There are versions of the software serving the business specific needs of many specialty requirements including:

Bike shops.

Garden Centres.

Book shops.

Gift Shops.

Homewares Shops.

Farm supply businesses

Produce businesses.

Fishing and Outdoors shops.

Toy Shops.

Confectionery Retail.

Stationery retail.

Pet Shops.

Pet Grooming.

Whole Foods Grocers.

Swimming Pool Supplies.

Firearms Retail.

Adult Shops.

Linking directly to Xero enhances the time-saving gained through the software as well as facilitating the accuracy of data managed by the software. Our Xero link provides for a data feed of sales as well as purchases.

With a CPA working full time in our business we are configured to provide a technical solution that has been overseen by our own Accountant, to ensure it is a viable solution for the small business retailers we serve.

INTEGRATIONS

Our Xero integration is one of many approved integrations provided by the software to serve the needs of retailers. Other integrations include:

Tyro broadband EFTPOS.

Links to all major banks through PC-EFTPOS.

Magento e-commerce. Magento is an excellent platform for website sales for small to medium businesses.

Shopify e-commerce. Shopify is an excellent entry-level solution for small to medium businesses.

Discount vouchers, smart loyalty, are one tool retailers can use this time of the year to set themselves up for terrific return business in the new year.

Discount Vouchers don’t need a card – they print on sales receipts and offer an amount customers can spend right away. Our experience and the experience of hundreds of our customers is that Discount Vouchers drive faster and deeper engagement with the business – making a shopping visit more valuable right away.

In our own retail experience, which sees us competing against major retailers in a Westfield shopping centre, several shoppers have stated they prefer Discount Vouchers over the rewards programs of our competitors.

We are confident that Tower Systems’ Discount Voucher facilities can help you:

Get customers spending more in a visit.

Bring existing customers back sooner.

Attract new shoppers to your business.

Drive impulse purchases at the sales counter.

We are keen for relationships with small business retailers that go beyond POS software that manages fast and accurate transactions. We want to help our customers do much more, to achieve much more.

Tower Systems is not your average POS software company. Our help for small business, local business, independent business retailers goes beyond what is traditional for a POS software company.

We help small business retailers compete with big business. We do this through advice, help and support. We do it every day, with many different types of retail businesses.

Our help can be POS software related as much as it can be business management related.

We are here to help out thousands of independently owned small business retailers in any way we can, every time they ask. We are here for them, as a backstop, as a support, as a listening ear.

This support and assistance is often personal too, engaging in discussions about business performance and the intersection with family life. We draw on considerable experience to be able to do this, to help our customers confront and resolve the challenges they face.

Our help for small business retailers in confronting bug business competition is engaging and supportive. We do this because we believe in small business and the role this sector plays in any economy. While we in small business can’t beat big business in terms of buying power and might, we can beat then on the ground, in terms of local engagement and through clever flexible offers pitched through our software.

Our POS software has built into it tools that help it compete and engage at the local street level that benefits small businesses, which gives them mechanisms through which they can be competitive.

On price, service, knowledge and more our POS software helps small business retailers swim in a different ocean to big business, we help our customers to significantly differentiate their businesses to big business competitors. This differentiation can make a significant difference. It can be what is needed to calm a small business and to give them the competitive advantage they are seeking to make a strand against a big business competitor.

Using smart POS software backed by genuinely engaged and helpful POS software support you can compete with a big business competitor, you can attract new shoppers and run your business at an efficiency level that is personally and financially rewarding.

Retail is tough. Small business is tough. In our POS software, small business retailers have tools that help them compete, tools through which they can differentiate their businesses and reach new opportunities and customers.

Sometimes, the best way to compete is to stop competing. That is what we want to talk abut here today.

What is competition anyway. Often, it is inn our head and there it swirls around and does bad things. Let’s take a moment to look at competition differently.

Too often we in small business see competition and get angry. We ignore the opportunity to change gears and stop competing

In our Tower Systems POS software our retail small business customers have facilities through which they can change gears, through which they can recast your offer so it cannot be compared to those from a competitor.

These gear changing competitive tools in your current software include:

Discount Vouchers. This is the most effective form of immediate loyalty rewards we have ever seen, driving excellent sales results. Charge more for an item and reward shoppers with cash off their next purchase.

Buy X get Y – Multibuy. This focuses people on a volume based offer rather than a direct simple purchase.

Package multiple items together for a price you set. Done right you can get more than the total value of the items in the package.

Special orders. Major retailers tend to prefer to sell what they have. Special orders are often considered too difficult. If you manage it well and make it easy, you can pitch your business competitively.

Sell you. Include insights, knowledge and advice with purchases, on receipts, automatically. Show, through every sale, that buying from you is different to other retailers where they could have purchased the same item.

This small list is a taste of the game changing opportunities though which you can compete in non traditional and often more valuable ways. These are ways we can help – through the software and through business advice that helps you leverage the software for wonderful times and insights.

Next time you feel competitive pressure from a big business, ask what you could change gearsin your business to position you differently, to not look like you are competing.

The more you can do to block direct price comparison the better. But don’t block, change the playing field. That is what we like to do.

Here at Tower Systems we can help with these and other initiatives in this area of smart competition.

We did an exercise in the office this week, thinking about how we see our software and what we do for small business retailers. Using a single word to describe what we dock to make a statement about what we stand for, aspire to, deliver and achieve for our customers in their businesses and in their lives as a result of engaging with our small b business POS software.

Here it is. Here is the list. the single word., Each word is, of itself, a statement of aspiration and / or achievement. We share it here as this is a shared goal we have with our customers and businesses owners who would be our customers. Here is the list in no special order…

Useful.

Exciting.

Expanding.

Helpful.

Responsive.

Customers.

Helpful.

Simple.

Stable.

Strong.

Powerful.

Easy.

Fast.

Accurate.

Safe.

Reliable.

Evolving.

Happy.

Trustworthy.

Peaceful.

Helpful.

Growing.

Calming.

Enlightening.

Aussie.

Me.

Focussed.

Structured.

Empowering.

Partner.

Collaborator.

Protected.

Rainbow.

Happy.

Relaxing.

Local.

Small.

Planning.

Smooth.

Personal.

Cool.

Future.

Flexible.

Changes.

Insights.

Peaceful.

Sure, they are single words. They are part of what came out of a workshop we did looking at who we are, what we do and why we do it. We do this from time to time, checking in with each other and our goals and the goals of our customers. We think this is good practice for any POS software company, especially one that focusses on the needs of small business retailers.

We take what we do here seriously and thoughtfully. We take great care to get it right even time. Pursuing this means we need to understand the goal. These single word responses help define the goal and the diversity of the goal.